1. Healthcare

1/31/2015
Southern Africa ­ Alert: Fri, 2015­01­30
Published on Famine Early Warning Systems Network (http://www.fews.net)
Southern Africa
Alert
Severe flooding damages crops;
nearly 300,000 people displaced
January 2015
Heavy mid­season rainfall has caused extensive
flooding across several areas in the region, affecting
approximately 930,000 people, including some
300,000 who were displaced from their homes.
Despite the current humanitarian response, the
extent of the crop land inundated by these floods
will likely result in total loss of production and
significant food gaps, particularly for poor
households, during the 2015/16 consumption year.
Emergency life­saving services including the
provision of food, shelter, and safe water are
needed for the affected households. After a late start to the southern Africa monsoon
season, Mozambique, Malawi, and Madagascar
have received above­average rainfall since early
January, with weekly accumulations well over 100
FIGURE 1. AREAS OF SOUTHERN
millimeters. Water levels increased along the Shire,
MALAWI AND NORTH/CENTRAL
Licungo, Zambezi, and Mazoe Rivers, and along
MOZAMBIQUE MOST AFFECTED BY
tributaries, causing severe floods in central and
RECENT FLOODING.
northern Mozambique and southern and northern
Source: Agricultural areas: 2009
GlobCover, flood affected areas derived
Malawi. Additionally, on January 15th Tropical
from Dartmouth Flood Observatory imagery
Storm Chedza caused severe floods in central and
northern Madagascar. Rainfall is ongoing in some
areas, posing a risk of further flooding in the coming
months.
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1/31/2015
Southern Africa ­ Alert: Fri, 2015­01­30
The flooding occurred during the peak lean season,
TABLE 1. FLOOD­AFFECTED
a time when most rural households in the affected
POPULATIONS
areas depend on market purchases for cereal.
Source: OCHA, FEWS NET
Given the damage to roads and food stocks, market
access and market supplies have declined. While efforts are in place for the distribution
of food assistance, access problems are impeding delivery. As a result of these critical
shortages, households affected by the flooding in Malawi and Mozambique are currently
experiencing Stressed (IPC Phase 2) acute food insecurity outcomes, and some of the
hardest hit areas in southern Malawi are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).
Apart from the destruction of infrastructure such as roads and health facilities, the floods
destroyed crops and livestock. Preliminary estimates indicate that 25,000 hectares (ha)
of cropped land have been impacted in Malawi and 65,000 ha (~5 percent of the total
planted area) in Zambézia Province, Mozambique. In Madagascar, about 9,900 ha of
rice fields were flooded and an additional 7,900 ha of crops damaged. The floods are
also likely to reduce demand for and access to wage labor opportunities. With fewer
crops and less income, affected households will be less able to produce food or buy non­
food essentials. As a result, although market supplies are likely to improve, Stressed
(IPC Phase 2) outcomes are expected to continue among these poor households in
Mozambique, and Stressed (IPC Phase 2) and Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes are likely
in Malawi, even once flood waters recede. Households in Malawi are expected to be
worse off because some flood­affected populations were already facing acute food
insecurity due to poor harvests in 2014 and because the ability to replant crops is more
limited than in Mozambique.
In the short term, more resources are needed to ensure that immediate live­saving
activities related to shelter, food, water, protection, and logistics can be implemented,
especially in Malawi, where only 21 percent of required funds have been secured. In
addition, the damage to crops, while localized, will mean that the worst affected
households are likely to require assistance throughout much of the 2015/16 consumption
year. The size of the population requiring this longer term assistance may grow
depending on whether additional cyclones or flooding occur in the coming months. Region Contact Information: Email: [email protected]
Source URL: http://www.fews.net/southern­africa/alert/january­2015­0
FEWS NET is a USAID­funded activity. The content of this report does not necessarily reflect the view of the United
States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.
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